Speculum



C. E. SMITH.

SPECULUM.

APPLlcANoN FILED sEPT.11.191s.

l 258,473.. Y Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

ATTORNEY.

tal

CHARLES Encina' sMITH, or nnnonno Benen,

CALIFORNIA.

srncULUM.

Application filed September 11, 1918. Serial No.

To @ZZ ifi/0m 'it may' conce/m.'

v e it known that l, CHARLES EDGAR SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residino' at Redondo Beach, in the county of Los angeles and State of' California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Specula, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a speculum and particularly pertainsto a speculum of the type especially adapted for use as a rectal dilater.

lt is the object of my invention to provide a spieculum which is particularly applicable for use in self treatment of piles, constipation and kindred disorders, and which is suitable for use in assisting in the function of evacuation.

Another object is to provide a speculum embodying a pair of pivotally connected dilating blades in which the blades may be readily separated for cleansing purposes and the parts forming the pivotal connection removed and replaced so that every portion of the instrument may be thoroughly cleansed and sterilized.

i further object is to provide the speculum with dilating blades so formed as to render the instrument particularly serviceable in treating ulcerated or inflamed conditions of the rectum.

Other objects The invention panying drawings,

Figure l is a plan Fig. 2 is a view tion;

Fig. 8 is an end view,

Fig. l is an enlarged detail section as seen on the line 4`4 of Fig. l, illustrating the construction of the separable pivotal connection of the dilating blades;

4ig. 5 is a view in elevation showing the underside of the separable pivot;

F ig. 6 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

More specifically G and 7 indicate the recdilating blades which extend substantially at right angles to Shanks 8 and 9 to which they are respectively integrally connected; the dilating blades being` semi-elliptical in cross section and tapered on straight lines from a point adjacent to their intersection with the Shanks to their tips. The shanks are pivotally connected together as indicated at lil. and are continued to :form

will appear hereinafter.

is illustrated in the accomin which;

view of the instrument; of same in side eleva- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

tips, as tion.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920. 253,568.

spaced handles 12 and 13 of such length as to enable a person to readily apply the instrument to himself, the dilator blades being arranged at right angles to the shanks and handles so as to facilitate the insertion, dilation action, and removalof the blades y a person operating upon himself. `This construction especially adapts the instrument for use in aiding evacuation. Furthermore by forming the blades to extend at right angles to the shanks they will be maintained in parallel relation to each other in either their open or that when the blades are separated the tapered form of the tained, that is, the distance lbetween the By this construction the outer portions ofthe cavity will thus be dilated more than the interior portions.

The blades 6 and normally abut against each other and when so positioned form a split tube of substantially elliptic cross section and of gradually from the intersection of the blades to their is common in speculum construc- As a means for facilitating the treatment of ulcerated or inflamed parts in the rectum, the outer contiguous edges of the blades are oppositely curved adjacent their tips to form an opening 14 to expose a portion of the rectal walls tothe interior of the speculum without spreading the dilator blades. This opening is spaced a short distance from the tips of the blades and the edges of the blades between the opening and tips contact when the blades are in their closed positions to form a curved wall between the tips of the blades and the opening, closing the outer end of the opening when the blades are closed, so as not to interfere with the insertion of the speculurn.

Medication can be e'ected by placing a satu-` rated sponge between the blades opposite the opening and inserting the blades inthe rectum to bring the sponge into lContact with the rectal walls without unnecessary expansion. The inner ends of the blades are flared outwardly at their juncture with the Shanks to facilitate the insertion and removal of a medicated sponge or the like when the speculum is in place and in its closed position.

rThe blades, Shanks and handles are formed of sheet and each part including a closed positions soV decreasing diameters portions 18 extending through openings in Y nient, particularly blade, shank, and handle, is Jformed of one rIhe shanks arefl rmed with a U- piece.

section and are arranged with shaped cross Y their open sides'facing each other, the shank as by bra'Zing. Y p, Y Y Mounted onqthe overlapping Walls of they shank 8 opposite the vends of the bushing 15 Y,

arevreinorcing bushings 1'? having reduced the side members o't'the sha-nk and permanentlyattached thereto.; the bushings being of a thickness greater than that of the thin sheet metal Walls of the shank to torni a substantial hearing. lined bores are jrorined in the bushingsthrough which a pivot pin 19 is passed, this pin having a head seating' on one oi the bushings i7 and having an annular or peripheral groove on its .outer end arranged contiguous with the outer 'tace ofthe other bushing 17. Aplate spring 2O having one Y end Vinserted in a socket 21 in the shank 8 has a forked outer end 22 which is positioned astride yo the pivot pinin engagement With the peripheral groove so as to removably retain the pivot pin'in place.

By removing the spring 2O and pivot pin, Y

the blades may be taken apart, which is essenti al lor thorough cleansing oit' the instruaround the pivotal connection.V i Y Y A spring 23 Wound around the bushing Y 15 has its terminalsbearing against the invention is obvious,

v ally connecting the shanks, a peripheral channel adgacent its end, and

ythe side Walls of .snacino' bushin said L D 2D? ner sides of the handles so as to normally maintain them in their spaced position With the dilator blades closed. Y The application and operation of the inthe instrument being adapted to be used in the well known manner common to devices ofV this character as Weill as for the uses herein set forth.

l claim;

l. In a speculum, a pair of shanks U- shaped in cross section arranged with their open sides Yface to face and one shank overlapping the other, a spacing bushing arranged-between the sides ot the inner shank, reinforcing `bushings on the sides of the outerA shank and extending' through the Walls thereof opposite said bushing, a pivot pin extending through the bushings pivotsaid pin having a forked plate spring attached to the outer shank having its forked portion engaging the peripheral groove to hold the pin in place. Y i

f2. ln a specuhun, a pair of shanks U-shaped in cross section arranged with their open sides face to tace with the side portions otone shank overlapping the side portions of theV other, a spacingbushing extending between the inner shank'having reduced ends extending through openings in said Yside Walls and permanently aiixed thereto, a pair of' reinforcing bushings on the outer faces of the side Walls of the outer shank aixed thereto, in alineinent with the bushings to 1med with an alined bore, anda demountable pivot pin connecting said Vbushings on Which 'the Shanks are turnable. i

CHARLES EDGAR SMTH. 

